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I just installed the Google Desktop search and when System Safety Monitor indicated that an attempt to install a BHO was being made, I allowed it because I wanted to try out the search and was not sure how disallowing the BHO would affect the search component. I also allowed it internet access through the firewall...
So, now I am wondering if anyone is already aware of just what Google is doing with the desktop search tool BHO? I am also wondering if I need to be concerned, and do I need to or can I reinstall and disallow the BHO and/or the internet access without adversely affecting it? Any other pertinent info would be appreciated, such as...
Also: if anyone has tried out Copernic's Desktop Search and also Google's Desktop Search, would appreciate any input on plusses and minuses of both.
Or if anyone might know of any reviews or comparisons already in existance on desktop searching (not the shareware or cost products...) would apprecaite a heads up...
According to the "Terms and Conditions" page:
"Consent to Collect Non-Personal Information
Google Desktop Search may collect certain non-personally identifiable information that resides on your computer, including, without limitation, the number of searches you do and the time it takes to see your results. Unless you choose to opt out, either during installation or at any time after installation, non-personal information collected will be sent to Google. (emphasis mine) This information will be used by Google only for purposes of operating and improving future versions of Google Desktop Search and will not be disclosed to any third party or used for any purpose other than as described in this agreement. To learn more, please read the Privacy Policy located at desktop.google.com/privacypolicy.html."
Then, over on the "About Desktop Search" page it says, "When you view a web page in Internet Explorer, Google Desktop Search 'caches' or stores its content so that you can later look at that same version of the page, even if its live content has changed or you're offline."
Either one or both are what are accessing the net. My experience with Google is that they do live up to their "Terms and Conditions" and their privacy policies. Theirs is one of the few BHOs that allow you to opt out of sending them information on your browsing habits and make that option easy to find, both during and after installation.
Regarding the Google desktop search, I did "opt out" during the install and double checked it afterwards, but it still installed the BHO and also still does internet access. In fact, it starts my browser when I attempt to do anything, but when I have the firewall set to block the internet connection, it will not present the search page and instead indicates via an error message that there is no connection, so I have to actually be online just to do a desktop search.
I have since taken a little time to compare results between the google and copernic desktop searches (both free), so thought that I should indicate my impressions so far...
IMHO, in comparison, google does not begin to compare to copernic. Not only does google require the internet connection as indicated above, but it is also noticeably somewhat slower.
The real test is what each one found in a search. I searched for the three different keywords in both google and copernic and copernic found 127, 549, and 139 hits, with google only catching 50, 477, and 72 hits respectively. Long story short, google's search results were very dissapointing for a number of reasons, but the bottom line is that it missed some crucial hits...
Copernic's interface is much more usefull, as it stores prior search keywords in a drop down box, allows filtering in several different ways (google allows no filtering), copernic allows scrolling of all hits (google forces you to do their painful and time consuming "next" page for each 10 hits), copernic does search/filter as you type the keyword (google does not), and so on...
One minor plus for google (?) is that it performed the indexing in considerably less time, altho I am concerned that it does not seem to allow for followup indexing for new items, whereas copernic does allow many options like if and when and how and what to do subsequent indexing on...
I guess google does categorize their search tool as "beta", altho frankly I think that their DESIGN of this tool is still "alpha" or worse. I would think that a company with their resources would have at least looked at copernic and incorporated some of the better features. Any google developers out there that would like to explain...?
Oh, an exclusive plus for google is that it will find hits in web "history" file, that is if you keep a lot of history of course. I did not see that in copernic, altho it does find html documents (so maybe this is not accurate, but I am just trying to outline the basics here...will edit back if I find this to be inaccurate). Altho, this would infer that the above noted shortage of google hits is even worse if you take away the "extra" hits from history.
One problem for both is that they only index and search Outlook and Outlook Express email, so since I switched to Firebird, I do not have the desktop capability to search my emails built in to these components...
Enough for now - if you need a good free desktop search, I would reccomend to start with copernic for now. Anyone disagree?
Last edited by keywester; 17th October 2004 at 21:30.
Regarding the Google desktop search, I did "opt out" during the install and double checked it afterwards, but it still installed the BHO and also still does internet access.
This is because the Google search tool is a BHO (Browser Helper Object). It doesn't necessarily mean it's a bad thing. Any add-on that uses your internet browser to run or adds toolbar buttons or menu items to it is considered a BHO including Googles search bar that so many of us have become very fond of.
As to why it won't work while you're not connected to the internet; perhaps it's because it uses Googles own search engine to do the searching. This is just speculation on my part. I did install it but my computer is one of those that has software on it that conflicts with Google Desktop Search. I did manage to work around it by turning off my antivirus email scanning but prefer to keep it running so I uninstalled the search tool after I had a look at it. I didn't keep it long enough to really check this theory out but when I tried a search with it using the desktop button it wanted to connect to the internet. From this it would seem that it needs Google for something.
Google's new tool for searching computers for stored information is a privacy risk for shared PCs, computer experts say.
BY ANICK JESDANUN Associated Press
NEW YORK - People who use public or workplace computers for e-mail, instant messaging and Web searching have a new security risk to worry about: Google's free new tool that indexes a PC's contents for quickly locating data.
If it's installed on computers at libraries and Internet cafés, users could unwittingly allow people who follow them on the PCs, for example, to see sensitive information in e-mails they've exchanged. That could mean revealed passwords, conversations with doctors or viewed Web pages detailing online purchases.
''It's clearly a very powerful tool for locating information on the computer,'' said Richard M. Smith, a privacy and security consultant in Cambridge, Mass. "On the flip side of things, it's a perfect spy program.''
MULTIPLE PROGRAMS
Google Desktop Search, publicly released Thursday in a ''beta'' test phase for computers running the latest Windows operating systems, automatically records e-mail you read through Outlook, Outlook Express or the Internet Explorer browser. It also saves copies of Web pages you view through IE and chat conversations using America Online's instant-messaging software. And it finds Word, Excel and PowerPoint files stored on the computer.
If you're the computer's only user it is a different story, the software is helpful ''as a photographic memory of everything you've seen on the computer,'' said Marissa Mayer, director of consumer Web products at Google.
The giant index remains on the computer and isn't shared with Google. The company can't access it remotely even if it gets a subpoena from a judge ordering it to do so, Mayer said.
Where the privacy and security concerns arise is when the computer is shared.
Type in ''hotmail.com,'' and you'll get copies, or stored caches, of messages that previous users have seen. Enter an e-mail address, and you can read all the messages sent to and from that address. Type ''password'' and get password reminders that were sent back via e-mail.
BUYER, BEWARE
Acknowledging the concerns, Mayer said managers of shared computers should think twice about installing the software until Google develops advanced features like password protection and multiuser support.
The FedEx Kinko's chain is also taking preventive measures. It's deploying software designed to automatically refresh its public access terminals to a virgin state for each new customer. So any errant software would disappear, as would any personal settings, files or Web caches, said Maggie Thill, a spokeswoman with FedEx Kinko's.
The new Google tool would not only aid people in spying on past patrons on public PCs. At home, parents could record their kids' instant messaging conversations or view a spouse's e-mail.
In the office, employers could index what their workers are up to.
